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Police escorts sped F1 fans through East Austin. APD says it didn't provide them and is asking the state to step in

Officers hired from other agencies ran lights and sirens for paying race-goers, KUT reported. The city's 2027 state legislative program, adopted in July, says nothing about escorts.

By Austin Politics staffUpdated

Videos posted during the Formula 1 U.S. Grand Prix weekend showed police motorcades, lights flashing and sirens on, moving cars through East Austin toward the Circuit of the Americas. KUT reported on Oct. 29 that neither the Austin Police Department nor the Travis County Sheriff's Office provided those escorts. Instead, event organizers and private companies hired officers from other agencies to shorten some attendees' trips.

Residents care for a simple reason: an escort with lights and sirens asks other drivers to yield, and it took place on Austin streets that the city's own police did not control.

What KUT found

  • A KUT reporter recorded three separate escorts through East Austin within minutes of one another, all using emergency lights and sirens.
  • One escort company told KUT it hires officers from across Texas, including the Dallas and Houston areas. Prices start at a few thousand dollars and depend on distance, the number of vehicles and how long officers stay. The company said it has worked for F1 sponsors and premium-package companies for several years.
  • Williamson County had five off-duty deputies helping with security at COTA. KUT reported they were not allowed to do escorts and that COTA paid their costs.
  • KUT said it asked F1 sponsors, COTA and other law enforcement agencies for comment and had not heard back.

The station noted that the Texas Transportation Code lists situations where police escorts can be used, such as funerals, oversized loads and diverting traffic for public safety.

What APD says

Assistant Chief J.J. Schmidt told KUT that APD did not manage or coordinate the escorts and that an F1 representative did. He said APD has contacted the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, the state agency that licenses officers, to "strengthen compliance and accountability," and is reaching out to state and local agencies to find out which were involved. "We share concerns about these activities," Schmidt said. He said APD is talking with agencies and stakeholders about possible changes to state law. KUT reported that APD did not say what changes it wants.

What our records add

The city's state wish list is silent on escorts. On July 23, the council adopted the 2027 State Legislative Program on consent, 10-0, with Council Member Vanessa Fuentes absent. The one-page program lists the city's priorities for the session that starts in January. Its public safety section focuses on crisis response, mental health holds and transitional care beds. It does not mention police escorts, off-duty police work or event traffic. Any new request would have to be added to the program or carried by individual legislators.

Who pays for event policing has come up before. At the council's Public Safety Committee on Aug. 3, Council Member Mike Siegel asked whether overtime for large events could be paid from hotel occupancy taxes or tourism improvement funds instead of the general fund. Earlier in that meeting, Police Chief Lisa Davis said 14% of APD overtime goes to public safety initiatives, including city-sponsored events.

The council's recent COTA votes have all passed without a no vote:

  • Nov. 20, 2025: a resolution letting the Circuit Events Local Organizing Committee apply on the city's behalf to the state's Major Events Reimbursement Program for NASCAR events at COTA, 11-0.
  • April 23, 2026: an economic development agreement with RIDA COTA Hotel for up to 30 years, with payments of up to 8.25% of the hotel's gross room-night revenue, 10-0 with Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison absent.
  • July 23, 2026: final approval of COTA's third planned unit development amendment, 10-0 with Fuentes absent.

Our earlier story covers what the city says F1 brings in, and the COTA deals in more detail. COTA is outside the city limits in southeast Travis County, but the routes to it run through Austin districts 2 and 3.

What's next

APD says it is still identifying which agencies' officers took part. The 90th Texas Legislature convenes in January 2027. Any change to who may run escorts, and for whom, would most likely come from there or from the state's officer licensing agency, not from the City Council.